Category: Karen Hilliard Art Blog

Airport and Flight Logs

As we waited behind the smart girl who wore her rucksack we just kept thinking, why didn’t we think of that. We talked about making sure to remember this next time and possibly never taking Spirit Airlines ever again due to so many added fees we were not expecting. They tack on a lot of these after we purchased our tickets. FYI good information to have. What airline do any of you use? I know they are all having issues currently but it would be awesome to share for a hopeful journey next time. As for this vacation, honeymoon, break, we took Spirit and it left us safe and alive so we have no complaints. Issues with travel come down to one thing, it is really all in how you look at the situation. We always find humor and a story while we wait and enjoy the time together no matter what. Just writing the information for any of you who may need to know it or find it helpful.

The flight to Peru was beautiful. My favorite part of flying is taking off and rising above the clouds. You know, that moment, when the plane is settled on the clouds…I feel like I am on top of the world. It looks like a vast snowy mountain range of soft fluffy wonder. The sunset view from the plane windows is also amazing! Chris loves the take off and the landing, he likes the rush. He had fallen asleep after the take off and I had a nice chat with another gentleman who was traveling to hike the Inca Trail. He bought one of the fancy packages to sleep in tents and have someone carry your pack for you the whole way. Chris and I went with a local company and hiked with our packs and tent, then were pleasantly surprised when our guide told us it was his last tour and treated us to an amazing experience. More on this later…back to the flights.

After a very long flight in comfortable seats, we had to catch another small plane to Cusco. This plane was freezing…I could stop here…but I will get into it. I thought it was so cold because I was so tired. Then Chris, who can walk barefoot in the snow, told me he was freezing and needed a blanket, I knew it was a different situation. We both wondered about the cabin pressure and if the windows would hold up. They did and we got there totally safe with no problems. The pilot did an amazingly smooth landing too and it was one of the best landings I ever experienced. We were super happy to get off the icebox though. Cusco was waiting for us and you too. I am excited to tell you all about it next week!

Thank you for reading and have a fun and safe weekend!

-Karen Hilliard

The Flights

Something amazing happened the night we were in Ohio watching fireflies! We were sitting on the grassy knoll and looked down to find it glowing. Tiny little glow worms in the grass!! They were the firefly larvae. We had no idea it glowed as well. The whole experience on their farm was an overall interesting and fun time. We were sad to leave but needed to venture onward down south to the land of Machu Picchu. A Journey was awaiting us for sure. The car ride back to Chicago was filled with wonderful conversation and stimulating stories. So much happened on the farm in just such a short week it was nice to recap. My favorite was when the goose decided to take a walk with us all around the acreage and got tired, then he let me carry him the rest of the way. He was a cute little guy. Traveling back to Illinois took a while and we did not turn the radio on once. So nice to have such wonderful friends.

While back in Chicago we stopped for dinner and ice cream near the train tracks and it was quite delicious. We walked around our friend’s hometown along a beautiful path of trees. The weather was perfect even in the summertime. We absolutely loved our time there. After checking our flight and tickets that night, we were ready to hit the road in the morning for our flight to Florida. We took Spirit Airlines and thought we could only carry on a bag and check the packs which was an additional fee. Then, in Florida, when we went to get on the flight to Peru…a girl got on wearing her backpack…the same size as ours. Something to keep in mind while dealing with airlines. A little tip or trick we picked up that day. Our flight to Peru was delayed so we ate some good food in one of the airport restaurants then took a nap.

Sleeping on the floor in the Florida Airport was comfortable on all our bags but may not have been the best idea. The whole wing of this airport section smelled like mildew and we wondered if it was residual aftermath from the Tropical Storms or Hurricanes they have there. We picked everything up and went to wait somewhere that smelled better and then got nervous because we did not want to miss our flight so we went back to the smell. The wonderful, glorious, smell. We waited in this section for a few hours and it was totally worth it so we stayed up to date on the flights. Have any of you had weird airport experiences? Gotten vouchers to take later flights? Bags lost then found? Any story would be fun to read in the comments below! I will write more about the flight to South America next as we took two to get to Cusco! Stay Tuned for more…

Thank you for reading and have a wonderful Wednesday!

-Karen Hilliard

A Journey

“Where do you want to travel to next?” This was a question I asked my husband on our first hike together, which he thought was a date. I ask everyone I meet if they want to go hiking because I love the outdoors. Years later, we decided it could be our first date because we both liked each other instantly and the trail turned into many trails throughout the years. Traveling and being outside is one of our shared loves. The other is the ability to think the same thing at the same time even all these years later. After asking him the question about where to travel, he said “Machu Picchu” and this was the same place I had in mind. Before we planned this trip, we decided to get married and then it became a Honeymoon excursion. Since the altitude is much higher in Peru than here in the desert we needed to prepare our bodies and train.

Mt. Charleston Small Works Series 3 | Karen Hilliard Art | Watercolor | Tiny Paintings — CLICK EACH PICTURE TO GO TO THE PAINTING ON THE WEBSITE!!

Karen Hilliard Art Blog | Hiking | Hike | Mt. Charleston | Tiny Paintings — CLICK EACH PICTURE TO GO TO THE PAINTING ON THE WEBSITE!!

We thought Mt. Charleston would be the best place to hike every weekend to get our lungs ready for the altitude difference. Cusco, Peru has an elevation of 11,152 feet and Mt. Charleston, Nevada stands at 11,916 feet at its peak. Chris and I were not able to hike all the way to the top before our trip, so we trained on our original trail, and we climbed to about 8,000 feet. Northloop Trailhead has some spots for cars so it is recommended to arrive as early as possible, especially on the weekends like we did. Going as often as we could, we felt we were ready for the trip at this point. In a future blog I will write about where we traveled, the elevation gains, and the need for Oxygen at certain points of the trail while in Peru. For now, I will share the journey we took to South America.

After hiking Mt. Charleston on the weekends, the next idea was to visit our friends in Ohio and Chicago, then fly out of O’Hare. The tickets were more affordable and we got to stop off at our friend’s farms along the way. We drove to Chicago, to pick up a friend, and then continued on to Ohio to stay at Benham Farms, where the hosts are an amazing couple with oodles of information on techniques, crop development, and grazing rotation. We were also able to venture into Yellow Springs for a walk along the river and a taste of the awesome brews from Yellow Springs Brewery. It is always nice to have a break in the hard work during the middle of the day. Then we got to go back to the farm for a night of gazing at fireflies. Not a bad way to end the day or this blog post.

Thank you for reading and have a happy Monday!

-Karen Hilliard

Tags Machu Picchu, Mt. Charleston, New Blog, Ohio, Peru, watercolor painting

September

The month of September is filled with such joy, warmth, and love. The seasons are officially starting to change from Summer to Autumn. Certain parts of the country may notice a change in temperature, colors on the trees may be transitioning, and the excitement of holiday vacations are in the air. Here in the desert we are lucky if the weather starts to cool. Chris often says the temperature does not change until November, but this year, we have felt a slight shift in the heat. We are getting very excited to hike the dog in this new season. After so many rainstorms, the desert will be alive with colors. I cannot wait to go out, take photographs, and share with you all. For now, we are staying safe and indoors. Everytime I wish to travel I remember the dog has a fur coat and it would just be miserable for him.

Fall in Red Rock Series 1 Number 7 | Karen Hilliard Art | Tiny Paintings | 4x6 | Original | Watercolor — **CLICK THE PHOTOGRAPH TO SEE THE PAINTING ON MY WEBSITE!**

Fall in Red Rock Series 1 Number 9 | Tiny Paintings | Karen Hilliard Art | khilliardart | 4x6 | Watercolor — **CLICK THE PHOTOGRAPH TO SEE THE PAINTING ON MY WEBSITE!**

Recently I have been sharing past experiences and trips with you all. The fall series I created was from a hike taken a few years ago during the Autumn season. Looking through old photographs is quite joyous for me. I often say that I have taken so many reference photos and may not have enough time in my lifetime to paint everything I wish to. However, I am sure going to try and share all my visions with the world. A huge feat this is for sure! The recent sketchbook painting “Autumn is Here” has been one of the more fun projects for me. A lot of energy and time was placed into every centimeter of this painting. I am very happy to have been able to create a print for everyone. I hope people will enjoy having this painting hanging on their wall for years to come.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE LIMITED EDITION PRINT “AUTUMN IS HERE”

The tiny painting series was wonderful to paint as well since I love small surface areas. Each of these paintings has brought back so many memories of Fall. So many traditions happen this time of year and I am excited to create some new traditions as well. This season holds my favorite color palette as well. What are some of your traditions or favorite memories this time of year? Is there any food you enjoy or recipes you would want to share? I have been drinking hot chocolates regularly just dreaming of cooler weather. Maybe this is why I feel a drop in the temperature and my husband does not…because I am imagining the chill on my face as I drink hot beverages. I love how certain smells can transcend me to different places!

I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday and thank you for reading!

-Karen Hilliard

Tags New Blog, red rock canyon, September, watercolor painting

Flash Floods

In regards to my blog “All Weather is Good Weather,” I stated we did not live near hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, earthquakes, etc. Natural disasters seem to skip us here in the desert. Well…recently we had a tropical storm come through from a hurricane off the California Coast. Then, a few days later we had our monsoon season but this time the streets were rivers. Luckily, everything was okay for the people where we live and yet the debris the following week has been interesting. Mud has been piling up everywhere and streets are still tan with dirt from what was left behind. I stand by all weather is good weather because I know how much this rain has helped the desert. Our sunflower patch in the backyard got hammered by hail but the desert, where people do not live, needed this rain.

Bighorn in Zion | Original Watercolor | Karen Hilliard Art | Small works — **CLICK THE PICTURES IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE PAINTINGS!**

Fall in Zion | Original Acrylic Painting | Karen Hilliard Art — **CLICK THE PICTURES IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE PAINTINGS!**

The ecosystem thrives on the rainy season for all the creatures and plants that live outdoors. They do not have McDonnalds and Starbucks for fancy outings with friends. Their very existence depends on water and food sources that are scarce. So everytime I hear frustrations towards rain, I understand, but I also think about the animals that depend on it. The trees and plants crave their water sources as well. Water is so important for everything and everyone’s existence and we need to keep our fresh waters safe. This is a whole different topic for another time. On to weather again. Forest fires where so many homes are destroyed are unfortunate and terribly sad. These fires do however help the forest floor to rejuvenate, and create new habitats. Luckily humans help the situation by not letting these fires burn too long because that can lead to devastating losses a forest has a hard time coming back from.

**CLICK THE PICTURES IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE PAINTINGS!**

Flash floods come swiftly and then leave behind essential nutrients and sediments animals and ecosystems need. This helps the desert rejuvenate. Yes, there is massive destruction with these natural disasters but it is the Earth’s way of healing itself. If you are ever in a flash flood situation, try to get to the highest point as quickly as possible. Do not mess around and think you will have time to get out. The rains come fast, dump feet of water, flow vigorously, and are intensely scary. Flash floods are beautiful to watch from somewhere safe but please stay clear and don’t try to get a closer look. Respect nature. Have you or anyone you know been affected by a natural disaster? From my personal experience, I have dealt with flash floods and earthquakes. From a secondary perspective I have witnessed forest fires and the devastation of wildfires. Be safe out there and smart.

Have a happy start to your week.

-Karen Hilliard

Tags flash floods, New Blog, red rock canyon, watercolor painting

Falls of Michigan

Circle Tour Part 12

After the phenomenon that is Tahquamenon, we decided to mosey on over to another park in Michigan. On the way to the falls we found an awesome bread shop on the side of the road. The owners Paul and Joanne Behm run this eclectic shop with a bakery, located in Newberry, MI 13 miles North of Newberry. These people are extremely nice and bake the bread right there in front of you using a brick oven they built. We bought some delicious bread and garlic spread which sustained us for quite some time. North Star Brick Oven Bakery in Michigan is the place to be! I just tried to link this for all of you and with 4.8 stars and amazing reviews, I am sad to find that this place is permanently closed. Do any of you have a favorite small little place that shut down after 2020? Let us know in the comments. Luckily, the waterfall is still flowing, so on to happier notes.

This waterfall was, and is, at the end of a very short hike through luscious trees. We went to Laughing Whitefish Falls State Park. Hiking among the trees was breathtaking. Plan for a half hour total if you decide to go. Since we had more time, we chose to venture to Munising Falls, Michigan. These falls were subtle and yet gorgeous. The striations in the cliffs were beautiful and the colors of the rock piqued my artistic curiosity. This was also a short hike and well worth it. The color contrast of the cliffs with the green of the trees was picturesque. Just the smell of the waterfall and the midst on our faces chilled the humid summer of Michigan. We got to break out our rain jackets, which is always nice! The dog loved the light walk to the falls as well.

We drove through Michigan and kept stopping at places along the way. We found amazing cliffs overlooking Lake Superior and got to watch the water crash against the sandstone below. We read a lot of information about how important sea kayaks are for the lake as it can get really treacherous with high currents. We did not know we would need a sea kayak for the lake so that was very good information to find. This place had kayaks hanging from the roof right outside the bathroom with a great amount of signage on the importance of water safety. The trail through the trees was very nice as well. This spot was called Minors Castle and I put the link in here. We saw many waterfalls through Michigan on our way back to Wisconsin.

I hope you enjoyed our journey and thank you for reading about the Circle Tour of Lake Superior. There is so much to see and we are definitely doing it again!! All new spots next time. Here is the finished painting! Have a safe and happy weekend, and thank you for reading!

-Karen Hilliard

Tags Michigan, New Blog, waterfalls

Tahquamenon Falls State Park

Circle Tour Part 11

Great food, great ice cream, great service, and a dip in Lake Huron! We were able to scratch this one off of our bucket list. The dog was not allowed down by the water so I watched him when Chris went in and swam and then we switched. After we both took our time in the lake, we went to a parking lot near the marina. We wanted to skip rocks and make sure we did not hit anyone. The place we swam at had a beach with a lot of people. So we drove to the marina area and our dog sat and watched us as we skipped rocks. Chris had the best distance and the most skips. I was just happy we caught these moments on video. I love the picture of us with Lake Huron in the background.

We decided to drive to Tahquamenon Falls (sounds like phenomenon), and stay the night at the Rivermouth Campground. We played cards all night and enjoyed our spot by the river very much. There were no mosquitos at the campground and we lit a nice fire. We decided to go for a walk, as there was forest all around us and an awesome walking path. Little did we know that we would be chased by a horde of mosquitoes back to camp. This is why we lit the fire, but realized the bugs did not follow us all the way back. We enjoyed some beer we bought called Blueberry Maple Stout from Saugatuck Brewing Co. We found it at the store before the campground. This place is right off of highway 123 North, Michigan Byway. It was a great campground and we highly recommend it. Super chill and we did our morning runs underneath a canopy of trees along the Tahquamenon River.

We stopped in the town of Paradise, MI on our way to the falls the next day. This was a really nice small town with friendly people. We had a quick bite to eat and some coffee, then bought a blanket and towel with the name Paradise on them. When we got to the falls we decided to go to the lower and upper falls. Chris carried the dog down the staircase to the viewing area. When we were finished with this lovely walk around the state park, we wanted to find the visitors center. There was a brewery and a visitors center. This place was amazing! People can kayak and canoe here too. Here is the link for Tahquamenon Falls State Park. I hope some of you, or all of you, get the opportunity to see this place someday. Gorgeous! Also, try and check out the town of Paradise. Thank you for reading and Happy Wednesday!

-Karen Hilliard

Tags Michigan, Tahquamenon Falls State Park, waterfalls

Lake Huron & Lake Michigan

Circle Tour Part 10

Swimming together in Lake Michigan was amazing and lasted 10 seconds due to the chilly experience. Through the night we heard wind whistling through the gorgeous tree canopy and the buzzing of mosquitoes outside the tent. There must have been hundreds of them and I was super happy to be inside an enclosed space where they could not suck my blood, little vampires! In the morning, we woke up and packed the tent up. We decided one night there was plenty and we would head to Lake Huron after a dip in Lake Michigan. Our pup got to put his four paws in the lake as well as it was much more calm in the morning. After our quick dip we headed out looking for a breakfast place.

We found North Coast Co in Hessel, Michigan. They have ice cream, coffee, fudge, sweet treats, and craft soda. We got morning cappuccinos and they were delicious. We also enjoyed the oatmeal peanut butter chip cookies. While walking around this beautiful town we also stopped into Pickle Point. A very very nice lady who rides on motorcycles worked there. Chris stayed outside with the dog and talked to a man who was waiting for his wife as well. I bought embroidery yarn and a cream square cloth fabric to stitch on. (Another one of my art outlets, embroidery!) They also had mason jars with leather holders for drinking and I got one for Chris for his tea. We were very excited that we not only got to swim and skip rocks in Lake Huron, but that the town had amazingly nice people.

NibbleLungen had great food, ice cream, and customer service. The name is based on Greek Mythology of trolls stealing gold. We got a Grilled Cheese Sandwich and a Chicken Sandwich. Also, a Breakfast Sausage/Egg Sandwich and it tasted like homemade sausage. We shared Caramel Ice Cream and took all the food items by the lake to eat them. It was lovely. The owner of this shop was very nice and the outside tables were awesome. They were in the shade and allowed pets to hang out. Chris loved the sausage so much and asked about it. The owner purchased local sausage from a local butcher shop in Sault Ste. Marie. After this lovely day, what could possibly top it? Pancake Bay had been a dream in Canada and Lake Huron kept our curiosity for more positive experiences on an all time high! Looking forward to sharing more with you all Wednesday. For now, Happy Monday, and thank you for reading!

-Karen Hilliard

Tags Hessel, Lake Huron, Michigan

Canada, We Will Miss You!

NO SERVICE the message received while traveling. The phones did not work the entire time we were in Canada, but that is fine with us! We thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company and solitude from the rest of the world. It may have been nice for roadside assistance in case a moose jumped out in front of the car or something, but we lucked out! Getting home to the states was very important due to a family member’s birthday. We had to call them, especially to let them know we didn’t “die out there” like our deck of cards tried to prevent us from doing. The main thing I wanted in Canada was a stamp on our passports. We were unable to get this upon entry so I was determined to have it happen on the way out.

Near the border we stopped at Tim Hortons one last time for our pastry and coffee. We also got some poutine even though it was super early. Had to get the poutine. Gravy, cheese curds, and french fries, yum!! When we went through the border we did not get a stamp. What? That is right, I wrote, DID NOT. We made a U-turn and talked to the guy and he let us go to the main office by the border and wait for our stamp. Apparently the United States and Canada do not stamp one another due to the fact that neither country wants to limit the number of times one can travel in and out. Makes sense. Anyways, by the end of this whole experience, I am sure the Canadians thought “silly Americans.” We did not mind, we love being silly, just look at our photos in previous blogs. So, long story super shortened, we got our stamps. Mission Accomplished. Now, where to next?

The Mackinac Bridge and Lake Huron! We wished to swim in as many great lakes as possible and luckily Lake Michigan is right up next to Huron. We stopped at Castle Rock in St. Ignace, Michigan and hiked the long staircase to the top for the views. I carried the dog up the stairs and Chris carried him down. The dog was super happy to be a part of this journey. I think he enjoyed the view too. We were unable to access Lake Huron so we drove over the bridge and decided to camp overnight at Lake Michigan Campground which was only $18 a night. Holy Moly Mosquitos were out in force and thirsting for blood with a vengeance. The lake in the morning was well worth it and super beautiful. We did not go in at night due to riptide warnings, just dipped our feet in. I hope you have an amazing weekend and I look forward to writing more about this and eventually Lake Huron in the blogs next week. Also, my Newsletter went out this morning. You can sign up on my website to see new paintings and read the news every month. The sign up is at the bottom of my home page.

Thank you for reading!

-Karen Hilliard

Tags Border, Canada, Lake Michigan

Touring Canada

Circle Tour Part 8

The stay at the bay was the best part of our whole trip. We loved the remoteness of it and how tranquil it was. During our stay there, we traveled to a small town to try and pick up some souvenirs since we did not have the opportunity prior. This is where the interesting story happens. We ventured into a town called Batchawana Bay and our dog did not want to get out of the car. This dog had been living in the desert and hiking in some very high degrees of heat prior to the trip to Canada. The weather on that day was a nice 65 degrees when the dog was used to 100 to 120 on some days. Chris and I decided to leave him in the car with the windows half way down. He would not let anyone near the car so we were not worried about anything getting taken. We know the car can get 20 degrees hotter quickly during certain parts of the day but this was in the early morning, right when they opened, and we shop super fast. We also park in the shade every time.

We decided to go into The General Store which had a ton of amazing souvenirs where we got everything we needed. While we waited in line, a man rushed into the store stating that a dog was in a car gasping for air and he was going to break the windows if the owner did not come forward and relieve the dog. Well, Chris was obviously not happy about this man wanting to break our windows and I knew my dog was not gasping for air or he would have already broken our windows. I appreciate how much this person cared about animals but did not care for the way he expressed it in my face. Luckily, everything worked out and the store owner was very nice and realized the situation was escalating from the man’s point of view.

The shop owner told us to bring our dog inside the store. We brought him in and I was shaking with adrenaline because I was unhappy with the way the man followed me out to my car and I had to calm myself down. Anytime I was upset, my dog was super protective of me. Although our dog did not want to leave his bed and water dish behind, he ended up coming with me into the store. He had fun and tried to swipe a squirrel tail hat off the shelf and that was challenging. He found everything on the low shelves quite fascinating. We ended up finding some amazing Maple cookies and went back the next day for more before we left Canada. We drove back to Pancake Bay, sat on the beach, and relaxed. I just want to let you all know that my dog was my best mate, and I think of him everyday to this day. I would never have left him in a poor situation, or a hot car. He was my world!! (IMPORTANT NOTE: Cars are always 40-50 degrees hotter than the outside temperature on warm days.) This being noted…Please be kind to animals, please try to be open minded to others, and please try to be calm in challenging situations! Have a great Wednesday!

Thank you for reading!

-Karen Hilliard